Life Vincent Pallotti Hospital implants world’s tiniest, leadless pacemaker

Life Vincent Pallotti Hospital’s specialist cardiac unit recently inserted the world’s smallest, leadless pacemaker, self-contained within the heart and 93% smaller than conventional pacemakers.

A pacemaker is a device implanted to assist in keeping a patient’s heart pumping at a regular pace and is generally used in patients whose heartbeat is too slow. Electrophysiologist and Cardiologist, Dr Vinod Thomas, is the first interventional cardiac specialist within the Life Healthcare Group to perform this minimally invasive procedure. Unlike a standard pacemaker, the tiny Micra pacemaker is the size of a large vitamin capsule and implanted into the heart through a vein in the leg, eliminating the need for a chest incision. This means that there are no visible signs of a medical device under the skin.

“We essentially insert a straw-like catheter system into a vein, typically near the upper thigh area of your leg. The catheter system moves the Micra pacemaker into the right ventricle of the heart. It is secured against the heart wall and tested to ensure it is working properly. We then remove the catheter system,” says Dr Thomas.

Dr Thomas added that this latest procedure expands the cardiac unit’s services and the device eliminates potential medical complications arising from a chest incision from wires running from a conventional pacemaker into the heart.

“The device can mean fewer post-implant activity restrictions and no obstructions to shoulder movement and is intended for patients with specific pacing needs. As with all medical procedures there are benefits and risks involved. Patients should discuss these with their doctor,” he says.

To send electrical impulses to the heart that induce contraction, pacemakers are placed in individuals with slow cardiac rhythms. Conventional pacemaker procedures require a ‘pocket’ to be created under the skin, right below the collarbone where the pacemaker is implanted. Depending on the specific rhythm issue a patient has, wires are then inserted through a shoulder vein into one, two, or three of the heart's four chambers. The pacemaker is connected to the wires once they have been placed in the heart. The ‘pocket’ in the skin is then filled with the pacemaker, and the incision is then sealed. “Conventional pacemakers are still effective and efficient in ensuring a patient’s heartbeat can be controlled, but new technology and procedures such as those with the Micra device are offering clinicians and patients more options that are far less invasive,” explains Dr Thomas.

Specialist cardiac unit services at Life Vincent Pallotti Hospital

HIS bundle pacing

‘HIS-bundle’ is a group of cardiac fibres responsible for electrical conduction in the heart. HIS bundle pacing is one of the most recent pacemaker developments which electrically connects the upper and lower chambers of the heart using a traditional pacemaker that has a special screw-in lead to pace the heart via the HIS bundle. “HIS bundle pacing is a relatively new technology that is now available in the cardiologist’s armamentarium, in the battle against heart failure,” says Dr Thomas.

Catheterisation Laboratory (Cathlab) and Cardiac Centre

This is a centre of excellence for treating patients with an array of heart diseases that need clinical intervention.  It is an accredited Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implant (TAVI) facility  offering less invasive procedures that are designed to replace a diseased aortic valve. “We are proud of the clinical accomplishments and milestones of our cardiac team and we are fortunate to have highly skilled heart specialists, surgeons and nursing staff that offer our patients this level of care and clinical intervention, of course with the support of our complementary services and medical aid funders,” said Gavin Pike, hospital manager at Life Vincent Pallotti Hospital.

Life Vincent Pallotti Hospital has been providing cardiac excellence to the community for over 23 years and continues to strive to be at the forefront of cardiac patient care.